Despite headlines full of restructures and AI panic, independent agency owners are reporting that business is picking up - and the numbers partly back that up.

The skills clients consistently say they want from their agency (proactive strategic thinking, genuine understanding of their business, reliable delivery that proves value) are commercial skills in everything but name.

A lack of proactivity in agency account managers is consistently ranked as the top unmet client expectation in client-agency research, but the cause is structural, not personal.

On 29th & 30th September 2026, Jenny Plant and Brett Harned are bringing agency owners, account managers, project managers and operations leaders together in Atlanta, Georgia to work through some of the biggest questions facing agencies right now.

This conversation is all about how creative agencies can get smarter, safer and more intentional about using AI.

This conversation is going to be particularly interesting for you if you’re an agency owner struggling with spreadsheets, disconnected systems and lack of visibility over pricing, profitability or resourcing.

This episode will be particularly useful to you if you’re an agency owner or account manager who wants to move your client conversation away from execution and further upstream into strategy, ideas and innovation.

Faster delivery does not mean cheaper delivery, and assuming it does is costing agencies money.

This podcast episode with Brian Kessman is going to be particularly useful if you’re thinking about how agencies can stay profitable and relevant as AI reshapes the way work is delivered and valued.

This article explains why ghosting happens between creative agency projects, and what to do differently.

If you’ve been thinking about how the agency business model is evolving, and what clients are looking for from their agency partners now, this conversation might spark some ideas about how to work with clients differently.

The next eight weeks are the most important for getting in front of clients before things get quieter in the summer.

Emily Hatton, Founder at AI for Agencies, talk about why AI adoption so often becomes a bit chaotic inside a creative agency.

I've had a wide range of AI conversations with agency owners this month - and the split has been striking. 

I see a pattern with strong account managers who are good at account growth.

Eloise (Ellie) Todd, Account Director at strategicabm, shares how account-based marketing actually works in the real world — not the textbook version — and why getting sales and marketing aligned can make or break results.

We’re diving into one of the most important topics in client relationships: trust, with Charles H. Green - an author, speaker and world expert on trust-based relationships and sales in complex businesses.

AI isn't the problem. The conversation is. Most agencies are still having a deliverables conversation when they should be having a business outcomes conversation.

If you’ve ever walked into a client meeting (or a pitch… or a QBR… or onto a stage) and thought, “I’ve got so much to cover - how do I say it without losing people?” - you’re going to love this podcast episode with Martin Barnes.

In this episode, we talk with Michael Farmer to unpack what’s really going on in the agency world right now - and what it means for you if you’re running an agency, leading clients, or working in account management.